Automated system for applying disinfectant to the teats of dairy livestock

Abstract

A method for applying disinfectant to the teats of a dairy livestock, comprises moving a carriage along a track. The carriage carries a robotic arm and the track is adjacent to a stall of a rotary milking platform housing a dairy livestock. The robotic arm comprises a first member pivotally attached to the carriage, a second member pivotally attached to the first member, and a spray tool member pivotally attached to the second member. The method continues by extending the robotic arm between the hind legs of the dairy livestock while the rotary milking platform rotates such that a spray tool of the spray tool member is located at a spray position from which the spray tool may discharge disinfectant to the teats of the dairy livestock.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for applying disinfectant to the teats of a dairy livestock, comprising:
 moving a carriage along a track in relation to a rotary milking platform housing a dairy livestock and independent of any physical coupling between the carriage and the rotary milking platform, wherein the rotary milking platform has a substantially circular perimeter, the track is positioned outside the perimeter of the rotary milking platform, at least a portion of the track is tangent to the rotary milking platform, and the carriage carries a robotic arm comprising:
 a first member pivotally attached to the carriage such that the first member may rotate about a point of attachment to the carriage; 
 a second member pivotally attached to the first member such that the second member may rotate about a point of attachment to the first member; and 
 a spray tool member pivotally attached to the second member such that the spray tool member may rotate about a point of attachment to the second member; 
 
 extending the robotic arm between the hind legs of the dairy livestock while the rotary milking platform rotates such that a spray tool of the spray tool member is located at a spray position from which the spray tool may discharge disinfectant to the teats of the dairy livestock. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 rotating the first member about the point of attachment to the carriage; 
 rotating the second member about the point of attachment to the first member; and 
 rotating the spray tool member about the point of attachment to the second member. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising accessing a rotary encoder signal generated by a rotary encoder of the rotary milking platform, the rotary encoder signal based at least in part upon the rotational speed of the rotary milking platform. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein moving the carriage comprises moving the carriage along the track at a speed based at least in part upon the rotational speed of the rotary milking platform. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising applying disinfectant to the teats of the dairy livestock using the spray tool. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining whether a milking cluster is attached to the teats of the dairy livestock prior to extending the robotic arm. 
     
     
       7. A method for applying disinfectant to the teats of a dairy livestock, comprising:
 receiving a trigger signal indicating that a stall of a rotary milking platform having a substantially circular perimeter and housing a dairy livestock is located adjacent to a track that is positioned outside the perimeter of the rotary milking platform, the track having a carriage carrying a robotic arm mounted thereto; 
 moving the carriage along the track in relation to the rotary milking platform and independent of any physical coupling between the carriage and the rotary milking platform; and 
 extending at least a portion of the robotic arm between the hind legs of the dairy livestock while the rotary milking platform rotates. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , further comprising accessing a rotary encoder signal generated by a rotary encoder of the rotary milking platform, the rotary encoder signal based at least in part upon the rotational speed of the rotary milking platform. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein moving the carriage comprises moving the carriage along the track at a speed based at least in part upon the rotational speed of the rotary milking platform. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the robotic arm comprises:
 a first member pivotally attached to the carriage such that the first member may rotate about a point of attachment to the carriage; 
 a second member pivotally attached to the first member such that the second member may rotate about a point of attachment to the first member; and 
 a spray tool member pivotally attached to the second member such that the spray tool member may rotate about a point of attachment to the second member. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 rotating the first member about the point of attachment to the carriage; 
 rotating the second member about the point of attachment to the first member; and 
 rotating the spray tool member about the point of attachment to the second member. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 10 , wherein at least a portion of the robotic arm extends between the hind legs of the dairy livestock such that a spray tool of the spray tool member is located at a spay position from which the spray tool may discharge an amount of disinfectant to the teats of the dairy livestock. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 10 , further comprising applying disinfectant to the teats of the dairy livestock using the spray tool. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 7 , further comprising determining whether a milking cluster is attached to the teats of the dairy livestock prior to extending the robotic arm. 
     
     
       15. A method for applying disinfectant to the teats of a dairy livestock, comprising:
 accessing a rotary encoder signal generated by a rotary encoder of a rotary milking platform having a substantially circular perimeter, the rotary encoder signal based at least in part upon a rotational speed of the rotary milking platform, wherein the rotary milking platform comprises a stall housing a dairy livestock; 
 receiving a trigger signal indicating that the stall of the rotary milking platform housing the dairy livestock is located adjacent to a track positioned outside the perimeter of the rotary milking platform, the track having a carriage carrying a robotic arm mounted thereto; 
 moving the carriage along the track in relation to the rotary milking platform and independent of any physical coupling between the carriage and the rotary milking platform, wherein the carriage moves at a speed based at least in part upon the rotational speed of the rotary milking platform; and 
 extending the robotic arm between the hind legs of the dairy livestock. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the robotic arm comprises:
 a first member pivotally attached to the carriage such that the first member may rotate about a point of attachment to the carriage; 
 a second member pivotally attached to the first member such that the second member may rotate about a point of attachment to the first member; and 
 a spray tool member pivotally attached to the second member such that the spray tool member may rotate about a point of attachment to the second member. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 rotating the first member about the point of attachment to the carriage; 
 rotating the second member about the point of attachment to the first member; and 
 rotating the spray tool member about the point of attachment to the second member. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 15 , wherein at least a portion of the robotic arm extends between the hind legs of the dairy livestock such that a spray tool of the spray tool member is located at a spay position from which the spray tool may discharge an amount of disinfectant to the teats of the dairy livestock. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 16 , applying disinfectant to the teats of the dairy livestock using the spray tool. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 15 , further comprising determining whether a milking cluster is attached to the teats of the dairy livestock prior to extending the robotic arm.